erickson



5.. ERICKSON SOLE LAYI NG MACHINE Sept. 10; 1929.

Original Filed Aug .31, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 p .10, 192 9- E. ERICKSQN 1,727,539

SOLE LAYING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 31. 1926 5 Sheets-Shet 5 Fig? J Patented S ept. 10, 1929.

UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWARD ERICKSON, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB '10 UNITED .SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEXV JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOLE-LAYING MACHINE.

Application filed August 31, 1926, Serial No. 132,758. Renewed December 6, 1928. i

This invention relates to machines for laying soles on boots and shoes and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine particularly adapted to lay an unvulcanized rubber sole upon a shoe prior to vulcanization.

Hitherto it has been customary to layunvulcanized rubber soles by pushing the lower portion of a lasted shoe having a rubber sole adhering lightlyto the bottom thereof against a flexible diaphragm, which forms the upper wall of a pressure box, so that the diaphragm is bent downwardly into the box and then to distend the diaphragm by forcing fluid into the box to wrap the diaphragm about the lower portion of the shoe and press the sole firmly into place. When the shoe has been pushed into the pressure box, the flexible diaphragm extends downwardly in an oblique direction from the tops of the sides of the box, where its edges are fastened to the bottom of the shoe and may be under some tension. When the fluid is forced into the box to distend the diaphragm so as to cause it to press the sole into place against the bottom of the shoe and to bend up the margin of the sole and press it against the lower side portions of the shoe, the force of the liquid must first gather about the shoe that portion of the diaphragm referred to above, which. extends under more or less tension straight from the bottom of the shoe obliquely up to the top of the pressure box. It has been found that in some cases, particularly when a high-archedshoe is being operated upon, the shank por tion of the sole is not pressed with sufficient firmness into place. The pressure, in machines of this type, is applied only for a very short interval,-commonly for about one second-s'ince, if the pressure is prolonged too much, the thin margin of the sole, which is usually turned up and pressed against the lower side portions of the shoe, is liable to be distorted. Apparently the gathering of the diaphragm about the shank portion of a higharched shoe where the diaphragm must be moved farthest consumes an appreciable amount of time compared to the whole time during which the fluid. under pressure permitted to act, with the result that, as stated above, the shank portion of the sole is not laid as well as the forepart and heel portions.-

her having in it an opening normally large enough to permit the bottom of the shoe to pass through it, and means for operating the member to decrease the size of the opening and thereby engage that portion of the diaphragm which would otherwise extend obliquely upward from the bottom of the shoe to the top of the box and gather it about the lower portion of the shoe before the fluid is forced into the box to apply pressure to the sole. In the illustrated. embodiment of the invention this means takes the form of two plates located beneath and in contact with the diaphragm, the plates being normally spaced a considerable distance apart and adapted to be moved toward each other and toward the shoe, the inner edges of said plates having complementary outlines such that, when the plates have been moved into operative positions, their inner edges lie close to and conform in outline to the outline of that portion of the shoe which is nearest them. In so moving, the plates gather the diaphragm about the lower portion of the shoe, and the subsequently applied fluid pressure lays the sole firmly in place.

According to another feature of the inven tion, the means for gathering the diaphragm about the shoe is operated by the movement of the shoe into the box. In the illustrated construction, in which, as has been explained, two plates serve as the gathering means, these plates are connected by levers with an actuator which is located beneath the diaphragm in the path of movement of the shoe. When relative movement between the shoe and the box is eaused to take place so that the shoe enters the box, the actuator is depressed; and the connections between the actuator and the plates are such that depression of the actuator moves the plates toward each other and thereby gathers the diaphragm about the lower portion of the shoe. I

These and other features of the invention including certain details of construction and combinations of parts will be described as embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a perspective of a machine in which the presentinvention is embodied;

Figs. 2,3.and 4 are cross 'sectional views on the lineA-A of Fig. .5 of the complete pres sure box, showing three stages in the laying of a rubber sole;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the plate-carrying frame which is locatedin the pressure box;

Fig. 6 is a. plan of the frame with the plates. in open position; and

Fig. 7 is a plan with the plates in closed position.

Referring first to Fig. 1,, a general" description of the illustrated hydraulically operated machine for'layinga rubber sole will be given. This machine comprises a pressure box 9, the upper side of which isclosed by a flexible rubber diaphragm '11, said diaphragm being fastened at its outer edges to the tops of the sides of the box. Above the diaphragm is a metal plate having in it a sole shaped openingf17'. Located above the box is a jack or last support comprising two jack posts 18,

' 20. The pressure box is normally substantially filled with water which is not under pressure, and the jack posts are at one side of the pressure box as well as above it, as

shown in Fig. 1. In the operation of the machine a lasted shoe with an unvulcanized rubber sole lightly secured in lace on the bottom thereof by cement is p 'aced. on the diaphragm 11 in the opening 17 in the plate 15, and hydraulic power is applied to the machine. The machine then'operates automatically .as follows. The j aek posts are swung over the pressure box and brought down upon the lasted shoe with the jack post 18 engaging the top of the last and the ack post 20' engaging the toe portion of'the shoe. 'Thejaclc posts then descend to push the lasted shoe down into the pressure box and thereby bend the diaphragm inwardly, after which fluid is admitted to the box '9' under pressure to distend the diaphragm and wrap it tightly about the lower portion of the shoe. Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, .in which the lasted shoe is indicated at 100 and the unvu'lcanized rubber sole at 200, the sole shown is of the so-called' rolled edge type. In the operation. of the machine the major portion of such a sole is pressed firmly against the bottom of the shoe, and the margin of the sole is bent upwardly and pressed against the lower side margins of .the shoe.

The machine as thus far described is ormay be substantially the same as the machine shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,495,163, granted May 27, 1924, upon an application filed in the name of Casgrain, to

which reference may be made for a detaileddescription of the construction and operation of parts not fully shown and described herein.

WVhen the lasted shoe has been pushed down into the pressure box, a portion of the diaphragm extends obliquely upward from the bottom of the shoe to the top of the box so that it must first be wrapped about the lower portion of the shoe. In order to move this portion of the diaphragm close up to the shoe before the fluid pressure is applied, the following mechanism is provided.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 to 7, there is located in the box 9, beneath the diaphragm, a frame 19 by which are carried two plates 21, 23, which enclose between them an opening of the outline shown, said plates beingnormally spaced apart as shown in Figs. 2'

and 6 and being adapted to be moved toward each other into the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 7 to hold the diaphragm close to the sides of the shoe, particularly at the shank portion. In the illustrated construction the plates are caused to approach each other by the shoe when it is pushed down into the pressure box, said shoe at that time acting to push. down an actuator in the form of a plate 25,

said plate having at its ends extensions 27' which are adapted to slide in guideways, one of which is shown at 29 formed between upright guides 31 which are integral with the frame 19. Integral with and extending down from the ends of the under side of the actuator are pushers 33 which are adapted to swing downwardly four arms 35, 135, 37 and 137. The arms v35, 37 actuate plate 23, and the arms'1'35, 137 actuate plate 21, as will presently appear.

Referring'first to the plate 23 (Fig. 5) this plate is pivoted to the upper ends of three arms 43, and 47. The arm- 45 is pivoted at its upper end to the plate 2'3 by a pin 49 which passes through perforated lugs formed on. the under side of the plate and through a bore formed in the upper end of said arm. The arm 45 is pivoted at its lower end in a similar manner by a pin 51 to the frame 19'.

'The arm 43' is pivoted at its upper end to the plate .23 by a pin 53 and at its lower end has a hub which is rotatably mounted upon a hollow shaft 55 carried by the frame 19. A spring 59, which is coiled around the shaft, has one end fastened to the hub of the arm 35 and the other and extended upwardly and bent around the outside of the arm 43. Ex tending-upwardly from the hub of'the arm 43 is a short arm 57 the purpose of which will presently appear. The arm 47 at the other end of the plate 23 is mounted in the same manner as is the arm 43 which has just been described. is connected in the same manner with the hub of the arm 37 by a spring 61, and has a short arm 62 extending "upwardly from its hub.

The other plate 21 is carried at the upper ends of three arms in the same manner that the plate 23 is carried by the three arms 43, 45, 47. Only two of the arms which carry the plate 21 appear in the drawings, namely the arm 145 (which corresponds to the arm and the arm 143 (which corresponds to the arm 43), this latter arm 143 being rotatable upon a hollow shaft 155 (which corresponds to the hollow shaft and having extending upwardly from its hub a short arm 157 (which corresponds to the short arm 57). A coiled spring 159 (which corresponds to the coiled spring 59) connects the arm 143 with the hub of the arm 135. The short arms 57, 157 are bored to receive a rod 63. On this rod is a coiled compression spring between the ends of which and the respective short arms 57, 157, are loose collars 67, 69. Cotter-pins 71, 73 limit the extent to which the spring 65 is permitted to swing the short arms 57, 157 away from each other. A second rod 163, one end of which appears in Fig. 5, extends through a bore in the short arm 62 which is integral with the arm 47 and through a bore in a similar short arm (not shown) which is integral with the arm (also not shown) which is like the arm 43 but at the opposite end of the plate 21.

In the operation of the machine a lasted shoe with an unvulcanized sole properly located upon and adhering to the bottom thereof is placed upon the diaphragm in the manner indicated in Fig. 2 and the machine set into operation. The jack posts 18, 20, swing into position above the shoe and then move down to force the lower portion of the shoe into the pressure box, as indicated in Fig. 3. As the shoe moves down it pushes the actuator 25 with it; and the actuator in turn swings the two pairs of arms 35, 135 and 37 137 downwardly about the axes of the hollow shafts 55, 155 respectively. This downward swinging oi the two pairs of arms 35, 135 and 37, 137 acts through the springs 59, 159, (31 and a spring (not shown), which is like these springs, to swing the arms 43, 143, 47 and. a similar arm (not shown) inwardly, thereby moving the plates 21, 23 inwardly into the positions shown in Fig. 3. This movement of the plates takes place in a horizontal path, due to the manner in which they are mounted, and moves the eftective portion of the diaphragm close to the shoe.

It should be particularly noted that the plates, owing to the outlines of their operative edges bring the diaphragm close up to the shank portion of the shoe. ater under pressure is now admitted to the pressure box to press the sole firmly into place against the shoe, as shown in Fig. 4. The water pressure is then relieved and the parts of the machine return to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Although the invention has been set forth as embodied in a particular construction, it

should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular construction which has been shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 2- 1. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, means having an opening therein normally large enough to permit the bottom of the shoe to pass through it, means for operating said firstnamed means to decrease the size of said opening, and means for distending the diaphragm.

2. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, means in contact with the diaphragm having an opening therein normally large enough to permit the bottom of the shoe to pass through it, means for operating said first-named means to decrease the size of said opening, and means for distending the diaphragm.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, a plurality of members movable from open position spaced from the sides of the shoe into closed position in which their inner edges lie close to the shoe, meansfor moving said members to closed position, and means for forcing fluid into the box.

4. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall oit which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pres sure applied through the diaphragm, a plurality of plates in contact with the diphrapan movable from open position spaced from the sides of the shoe into closed position in which their inner edges lie close to the shoe, means for moving said plates to closed position, and means for forcing fluid into the box.

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack for a lasted shoe adapted to support the shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, a plurality of members in contact with the diaphragm movable from open position spaced from the sides of the shoe into closed position close to said sides, the inner edges of said members having an outline, when in closed position, which corresponds substantially to the outline of the shoe in the locality nearest to said edges, means for moving said members to closed position, and means for distending the diaphragm.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one Wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pressure applied through -the diaphragm, a diaphragm support having an opening large enough to permit the bottom of the shoe to pass through it and adapted to be operated to decrease the size of the opening, means for causing relative movement of approach between the jack and the pressure box, means for operating the diaphragm support, and means for distendin the diaphragm.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, a plurality of plates movable from open position spaced from the sides of the shoe into closed position close to the shoe, means for yieldingly moving said plates to closed position, and means for distending the diaphragm.

8. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall or which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a ack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, means located beneath the diaphragm having an opening therein normally large enough to permit the bottom of the shoe to pass through it, means for operating said first named means to decrease the size 01" the opening and thereby draw a portion of the diphragm about the sides of the shoe, and means for distending the diaphragm.

9. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall oi which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, a plurality of plates located beneath the diphragm movable from open position spaced from the shoe into closed position in which their inner edges lie close to the shoe, means for moving said plates to closed position, and means for forcing fluid into the box.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack adapted to support a lasted shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, a plurality of plates in contact with tile diaphragm movable from open position s red from the shoe into closed position in which their inner ec ges lie close to the shoe, means for causing relative movement of approach between the box and the jack to cause the lower portion of the shoe to enter the box, means for moving the plates to closed posisition, and means for distending the diaphragm.

11. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, means for causing the lower portion of a shoe to enter the box and bend the diaphragm inwardly, means for gatherin the inwardly bent portion of the diaphragm about the lower portion of the shoe, means responsive to the entrance of the shoe into the box for operating the gathering means, and means for aiding th e diaphragm.

123. A machine of the class described having, i coml'iination, a pressure box one wall of which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a jack ac ed. to support a lasted shoe against prissmre applied through the diaphragm, means ror producing relative movement of ap proach hot en the jack and the box to ower portion of the shoe to enter ocated beneath the diaphragm the shoe, an actuator for the oeneath the diaphragm in the ice, and means for distending 1e diaph '1.

l3. inachine of the class described havin combination, a pressure box one wall which comprises a flexible diaphragm, a

ad led to support a lasted shoe against iiied through the diaphragm, a

. plates located. beneath the diathe inner edges thereof normally -ed apart far enough to permit the ion of the shoe to enter the box, or producing relative movement of approach between the jack and the box to muse the lower portion of the shoe to enter the box and bend the diaphragm inwardly, means {or moving the plates toward one another to gather the diaphragm about the sides of the shoe, and means for therea tter forcing fluid ir. to the box to distcnd the diaphragm.

. I. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pressure box one wall of which com rises a flexible diaphragm, a jack for sup 'iorting lasted shoe against pressure applied through the diaphragm, meai'is for producing relative movement of approach between the box and the jack to cause the shoe to move into the box and bend the diaphragm inwardly, a plurality of plates located beneath the diaphragm and movable to a position in which their inner lie close to the sides of the shoe and conform in outline substantially to the outline of the shoe in the locality nearest said edges, an actuator adapted to be depressed when the shoe moved into the box, connec tions between the actuator and the plates such that movement of the actuator moves the plates toward the shoe, and means for distending the diaphragm.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD ERIGKSON. 

